Honoring our murdered Journalists

Jan Kuciak and Daphne Caruana Galizia

Viktoria Marinova and Jamal Khashoggi

Four prominent journalists have been killed over the past year, raising the serious fear that the freedom of expression has been challenged, attacked and brutally violated. A year ago today, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered next to her home. Last February 21, young Ján Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kušnírová were killed in Slovakia. Just two weeks ago a Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova was founded murdered. And a few days ago Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, and an author was reported missing and presumed killed. As the only United Nations agency with a mandate to promote freedom of the press, UNESCO works to ensure the protection, respect, and fulfillment of press freedom and the rights and safety of journalists. Its mission is to defend freedom of expression, one of the foundations upon which democracies are built, and an inalienable human right set down in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As a fellow journalist (Leħen is-Sewwa since 1986,) I appeal for prayers that all journalists will be protected in their duties and that their freedom to express their views will be safeguarded and honored. Let us pray for all these innocent victims and their families.